Currently Viewing: Art

I know, it’s been a while, right? I’m not going into the reasons for the long hiatus in the City of Bridges story (you can dig up some details on personal blog, if you’re interested, though to be honest I haven’t written very much there either). Leave it to say that some stories live in your heart, no matter how long it takes you to come back to them, and I’m finally ready to come back to Corregal, and to Neda and the boys.

It’s been a slow process, but over the past couple of months I’ve pounded out several potential next episodes–most of which you’re ever going to see. Unfortunately, after I finished writing, I realized the adventures described were just not right for this point in the tale. I wanted to do something that delved a little into the magical side of this world, while providing a bonding experience for Barris, Tierce and Romeric, but what emerged was just way too intense for them to go through just yet. Still, the exercise was useful, as it helped to stretch my too-long neglected prose writing skills and reminded me that, yeah, I actually do like this fantasy writing gig after all.

At any rate, I have an alternative episode, much more mundane, ready to post in the next day or two, and the one after that ready to fall off my fingers and onto the page. (As if it’s ever that easy!) So keep an eye out for new story content here very soon!

Also–and this is a big ALSO–for the first time in well over a decade–I’ve returned to work on the original novel for which City of Bridges was only ever meant as a prequel. If you have read the About page here, then you know that all this started as a NaNoWriMo novel way back in 2002. Even though I loved the characters and the setting, I have never been able to figure out how to fix that sad, overwrought bit of work, and it’s languished in the metaphorical trunk every since.

But in mid-April, I was struck with a sudden bolt of inspiration–I’d like to say it made everything click into place, but that isn’t true. It was just one idea that spawned an obsessive desire to make it all work. It’s taken a lot of intense work on characters, world-building and plot, but I finally have the bones of something that I think makes a good story, and I’ll begin writing it soon. My goal is to have a critique-ready draft done by the end of the year–I’m not getting any younger, folks!–so it will be taking a priority when it comes to writing time. I still hope to post here regularly, but we’ll have to see how it works out. Writing about the same characters some ten years apart may not be easy.

Finally (thanks for sticking with me!) I wanted to share some character art. This first are a couple character portraits I did way back in 2008. (I have since lost any ability to draw faces.) I had totally forgotten them until I found them a few weeks ago while digging through old project notes. Why no Barris or Neda? Who knows! But here are Romeric and Tierce:

Not quite as old are these crocheted dolls of all four I made a few years back:

The character previously known as Mariesa Fleuracy will hereafter be known as Nedalya Fleuracy, or Neda for short.

My reasons for this have to do with the changing nature of the story. When she first entered this story world, some 10 years ago, she was nothing more than remembered Object of Affection. “Mariesa” was a good enough name at the time, though I never really liked it. Now that the character has evolved into a more significant role and become a person in her own right, I felt she needed a name with more weight behind it. Ergo the change.

I’m really particular about names.

(I’ll be changing the past entries to reflect the name change in the very near future.)

And then there was art!

I coerced my teen daughter into drawing some character sketches for me and, with only a brief rundown of basic attributes, this is what she gave me:

Barris, Romeric, Neda and Tierce, by Lucy W.

I think she did a great job of capturing my four main characters, aside from the fact that they all look about five years too young. Romeric, especially, looks about 12 years old here. But

But it’s a start at getting some visual representation of these characters! But I think the personality conveyed in each expression is right on.